What If She Said Yes?
by HeroxPartnerfan96
Summary: Ash made two offers to Dawn during their Sinnoh journey, and she had turned both down. However, what would have happened if she accepted them? How different would things have turned out? Pearlshipping two-shot
1. Dance The Night Away

**What If She Said Yes?**

 **Chapter 1: Dance The Night Away**

The Great Marsh was filled with festive stalls and decorations as far as the eyes could see; since everything had calmed down after the Rocket Trio's attack, it was clear to see that the Croagunk Festival was well underway and it was time for the main highlight of the festivities. With Brock having already joined in with the large group assembled, Ash and Dawn turned their heads up to notice Crasher Wake standing in a small observation tower with a large drum just behind him. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, time for our Pokemon Dance!" Wake announced, with a smile of excitement on his face. So with this, holding two drumming sticks in his hand, he started to bang against the drum in a rhythm, with the large group starting to dance in a routine that consisted of stepping from side to side and clapping. As he and Dawn watched the dancing, Ash quickly showed a big smile as he was eager to join in as well.

"Wow, that looks like so much fun!" Ash excitedly commented. "(Yeah, it sure does!)" Pikachu immediately replied, nodding in agreement with a smile of awe as he was looking forward to joining in on the routine as well. Almost as if there was no hesitation on his part, Ash turned his head to Dawn as she was busy watching the fun.

"Hey, Dawn! What do you say we dance too?" Ash suggested. Dawn turned her glance to Ash in surprise upon hearing this offer; was he actually asking her to dance along with him? Granted, it wasn't a hand-in-hand dance, but he was still asking her nonetheless. She was silent for a few moments before she showed an expression of uncertainty as she was trying to decide what she should do.

"Well… I don't know…" Dawn hesitantly replied. She then started to dwindle her two forefingers together, while Ash was watching her in surprise as he could see that she was having a bit of a hard time trying to make up her mind. However, she was met with a surprise as Piplup jumped off the top of her beanie and landed on the ground safely before he started to imitate the group's dancing; it was clear to tell that he wanted to join in as well. Turning her glance down to take notice of her partner Pokemon's dancing, Dawn could tell that Piplup really wanted to participate in the fun as well, and she knew that there was no way she could disappoint him. So with this, a bright smile came to her face and she turned to Ash before nodding in confirmation. "Okay! What are we waiting for?" she asked.

This response seemed to be all the answer that Ash needed, because his smile immediately grew wider before he jumped up in excitement. "All right!" Ash cheered. So without a moment to spare, the two rushed over to the group of dancers to start joining in. As the music was playing, Pikachu leapt off Ash's shoulder and started to copy the moves of the other dancers, while Ash's efforts were proving to be less than successful; he didn't exactly have the moves down completely, but that didn't seem to matter to him since he was too occupied with enjoying himself. As Ash was lost in his own world, he stopped as soon as he caught notice of Dawn's dancing: it seemed to be very different from the rest of the group. She was twirling around and she had her arms stretched out on either side of her as if she was a ballet dance. Ash stared at her in silence for a few moments before he felt an expression of awe cross his face.

' _Woah… I had no idea that Dawn was such an awesome dancer…'_ Ash thought to himself, as he continued to watch Dawn in amazement. There was something about watching her dance that seemed to captivate him, and he couldn't seem to figure out why that was. After a few moments, he figured that it would be best to figure this out for himself, so he walked over to where Dawn was; she was continuing her dancing not too far from where the others were. "Hey, Dawn!" Ash called. Dawn stopped in her tracks and turned around to notice Ash walking over to her with a smile of awe on his face, and she nearly jumped in shock upon seeing him.

"Ash?! H-how much of that did you see?" Dawn asked, feeling her face start to turn red from embarrassment; she couldn't believe that Ash had spotted her dancing, and she wasn't looking forward to hearing what he had to say upon seeing her. However, the smile of awe he was showing didn't seem to fade before he spoke.

"Well, as much as you were dancing for me to see it. How did you learn to dance like that? I don't think I've ever seen you do that before. You're really amazing at it!" Ash commented. Dawn showed an expression of surprise at this praise, and she started to feel her cheeks start to turn red as she turned her glance up to Ash while shyly rubbing one arm.

"Well… I tend to pick a few things up while practicing my performances for the Pokemon Contests. I guess dancing just happened to be one of them." Dawn explained, before letting out a small giggle at the end of this statement. While this was happening, Pikachu and Piplup were both rushing over to see what was going on, and they quickly stopped in their tracks upon seeing this. As they watched this scene on, they both turned their glances to each other as they seemed to wonder what was happening, before they looked back to Ash and Dawn to see her walking over to him. "Hey, Ash? I know this might seem a bit crazy for me to ask, but…" Dawn feel silent for a few moments, with a shy smile showing on her face while Ash watched her in surprise.

"Yeah, Dawn? What's up?" Ash asked. He had rarely ever seen Dawn acting like this, so it was safe to say that he was starting to wonder what had gotten into her and what she wanted to ask of him. The answer suddenly came in a way he didn't expect, as Dawn reached over and took his hands in hers, much to his surprise, and he turned his glance back to her to see her showing him a bright smile; it was clear for him to see that she wanted to ask him something special. Sure enough, he was proven correct when Dawn finally spoke up.

"Would you… like to dance with me?" Dawn softly asked. Ash let out a silent gasp of shock at this offer, while Pikachu and Piplup nearly jumped from alarm as they were watching this one, and they were in just as much shock as Ash was at the moment. With Ash, he was simply staring in shock as he was trying to let what he just heard sink in: Dawn was asking him to dance with her. This was something he didn't expect to hear, and he had no idea how to respond to it. After a few moments passed, Ash turned his glance down in uncertainty.

"I don't know, Dawn… I haven't really been the best at dancing, let alone this type of dancing. I don't really want to make a mistake…" Ash nervously replied, keeping his glance down in uncertainty since he wasn't feeling very confident about doing this. Since he could see how much Dawn wanted to do this with him, he didn't really want to mess it up for her or accidently do something to hurt her. Dawn seemed to take notice of this, as she stared at him in surprise for a few moments before she showed an understanding smile.

"Oh, no need to worry! Just follow my lead." Dawn stated, showing a confident smile and giving a wink to assure Ash that everything would turn out well. Ash turned his glance back up to her upon taking notice of her confidence, and seeing just how certain she seemed to be of this, he showed a bright smile and nodded in understanding; he would leave everything to her, since she knew what she was doing. Dawn quickly showed a smile of delight at this, so without a moment to spare, she placed one hand on Ash's hip before reaching forward to grab his other arm and place his hand on her shoulder and interlock her other hand with his while he was simply watching in surprise, wondering what she was up to. "Okay, we're all set! You ready?" Dawn asked, seeing that they were ready.

Ash was having a close look at their position; something about this seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. But as soon as he heard Dawn, he turned his head up to her and nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I think so." he simply replied.

Dawn felt as though her smile wouldn't fade anytime soon, seeing that she was actually managing to make one of her dreams a reality, even without Ash knowing it. So with this, she slowly started to move back and forth across the dancefloor with Ash doing his best to follow her lead, making sure he wouldn't accidently step on her feet while doing so.

As Ash was watching Dawn, he could see the bright smile she was showing him, and he couldn't help but smile back seeing just how much she was enjoying herself, just like he was starting to do the same. _'Man, Dawn is really having a great time. I wonder why she wanted us to dance like this, though...'_ Ash thought to himself, as he was trying to figure out why this was happening. He turned his glance down to think, wondering why this kind of dancing seemed familiar to him, before an expression of shock crossed his face as it suddenly seemed to hit him. _'Of course! I remember seeing dancing like this; it was at Cameron Palace!'_ He could remember when he and the others were at Cameron Palace during the ball, and he was watching all the guests attending dancing as music was playing in the ballroom. _'That's right… this is ballroom dancing! But… why would Dawn want to do that? And why with me?'_ Ash wondered to himself; nothing seemed to be making sense of him. As he turned his glance back up to Dawn, he could see her happily watching him, with the biggest smile he had ever seen on her face, and her deep blue eyes seemed to shine brightly like gemstones. Seeing this, Ash couldn't help but feel a bright smile cross his face, since he knew that he didn't need to think too hard about the why of this situation. Dawn let out a happy giggle upon seeing Ash's smile.

"Isn't this fun, Ash? I told you that this would be great!" Dawn happily stated. She then stopped in her tracks and started to twirl around in a circle, holding on tight to Ash's hand while he did the same. As the two were enjoying themselves, Pikachu and Piplup had been watching this on the whole time, and the two Pokemon turned their glances to each other seeming to realise what was going on.

"(Do you think we should leave them alone for the time being?)" Piplup asked. "(Yeah, I think so.)" Pikachu replied, nodding in agreement. So with this in mind, the two Pokemon started to make their way back over to the group of dancers, figuring that it would be best to leave Ash and Dawn alone for now.

Back with Ash and Dawn, the two were too occupied with their dancing to see that their partner Pokemon had been watching them; they were mainly focused with having a great time with each other. As the two continued their dancing, they seemed to only focus on each other; to them, there was no one else in the square but them. It was like they were lost in a world where there was just the two of them, and this dancing only seemed to prove this to them. After a few moments of silence passed, Ash was the one to break it. "Hey, Dawn?" he asked. Dawn turned her glance up to him in surprise, wondering what was up. "I didn't expect that dancing like this would be so fun, but… I'm really glad I decided to go for it. And I'm also happy that I'm getting to do it with you. Thanks for making the offer." Ash explained. Dawn showed a bright smile before she shook her head in response, while Ash watched her in surprise.

"No problem, Ash! There's something I want to say too." Dawn replied. Ash simply nodded in understanding, as he was waiting to hear what Dawn had to say, and he was met with a shock as Dawn leaned forward before resting her head against his chest. "Thank you so much for dancing with me. This has probably the best night ever for me, because I spent it with you." Dawn softly said, as she started to nuzzle up against him. Ash could only stare at her in shock, and he nearly felt as though his heart would stop upon the realisation of what she was doing. But seeing how content and happy she seemed to be, he simply showed a smile in response before wrapping his arms around her as the two continued their dancing, simply enjoying the feeling of being in each other's company.

While this was happening, Brock turned his head to spot the two from where he was with the rest of the dancing group, and he felt an expression of alarm cross his face when he saw what was going on: Ash and Dawn were dancing together! And not only that, but Dawn had her head rested against Ash's chest while he had his arms wrapped around her as he seemed to enjoy her being this close with him. After a few seconds passed as he was trying to make sure that he was seeing this right, Brock's shock slowly faded and he felt a bright smile show on his face as he crossed his arms. "Well, would you look at that. I think it's safe to say that those two are well on their way without even knowing it." Brock commented to himself; he had a feeling that Ash and Dawn were coming close to realising their feelings for each other.

With Ash and Dawn, neither of the two seemed to take notice of this nor did they seem to care. The only thing that mattered to them was spending this night with each other, and enjoying the feeling of getting to dance together like this.


	2. A Walk For Two

**What If She Said Yes?**

 **Chapter 2: A Walk For Two**

Ash and the others watched as Johanna was walking away; she was going to help the people that were organising the festival decide which stalls should be placed where around Twinleaf Town, which left just the group standing there as they had to wait for her to come back. As they watched her leaving, Dawn let out a sigh of dismay before turning her glance up to Piplup as he was holding onto the top of her beanie. "I guess there's nothing to do except wait for Mum gets back. Okay, Piplup?" Dawn asked; she had been looking forward to having a battle against her mum to show her how much progress she had made since starting her journey, but it seemed that those plans were being put on hold for the time being. "(It looks like it.)" Piplup replied, nodding in understanding as he knew that they had to wait. Ash had his glance on Dawn as he was listening to her, and then he showed an expression of dismay as he knew that she was right.

"Yeah… I guess that's just the way it goes…" Ash sighed. He turned his glance down to think about what they should do to pass the time until Johanna returned, until a bright smile quickly came to his face as he had an idea before turning his glance to Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. "Hey, I know! I have an idea, Pikachu. Let's go for a little walk and check out Twinleaf Town at the same time." Ash suggested. This idea seemed to sit great with Pikachu as it didn't take long for him to show a bright smile and nod in agreement.

"(Sounds great!)" Pikachu happily agreed, raising one arm in the air. Seeing that Pikachu had agreed with this plan, Ash turned his glance to Dawn to hear what she had to say about it; he figured that since they had the time, he wanted her to come along with him.

"Dawn, wanna come too?" he asked. Dawn showed an expression of surprise at this offer; Ash knew that she knew Twinleaf Town so well since she had grown up in this small town, and she figured that Brock could use the walk more than she did since he was new here, so why was he asking her to come with him? She then turned her glance down to think about what she should do: she really wanted to stay behind and work on her strategy for her battle against Johanna, but at the same time… _'I really want to have a strategy ready for when I battle Mum when she gets back. But then again, a walk with Ash does sound fun…'_ After a few moments passed, Dawn turned her glance back up to Ash before she nodded in confirmation.

"Well… sure! I guess that could be fun." Dawn replied. She then turned her glance up to her partner Pokemon to hear what he had to say. "What do you think, Piplup?" she asked. Piplup showed a bright smile before nodding in agreement; that sounded like a good idea to him too. Ash quickly showed a smile of excitement, thrilled to hear that Dawn had accepted his offer. As far as he remembered, there was only one other time where she said yes to an offer from him, and that was the night of the Croagunk Festival.

"All right then, let's get going!" Ash stated. So with this, the two started to make their way while turning their glances to Brock as he and Noelle were watching them. "Brock, we'll be back soon! We're going to go for a walk around Twinleaf Town." Ash called. Brock showed a smile hearing this and nodded in understanding.

"Okay. Have a good time, you two." Brock replied. Noelle started to wave to the two as they were starting to get further away from where she and Brock were. "And make sure to meet up with us back here when you're done!" she added. Ash and Dawn both started to laugh in unison before they nodded in understanding.

"We will! Thanks!" The two replied in unison. So with this, the two started to make their way down the path leading towards the town, with Pikachu and Piplup jumping off their respective Trainers to walk alongside them. Ash and Dawn both turned their glances to notice this before looking back up at each other. "I guess Pikachu and Piplup want to walk along with us." Ash commented. Dawn nodded in agreement; she seemed to take notice of that as well. As the two turned their attention back to the path in front of them, it didn't take long for Dawn to notice that her and Ash's hands were just side by side with each other. So with this in mind, she reached over and took Ash's hand in hers, prompting him to look down in surprise to notice this, before turning his glance up to her to notice the big smile she was showing, and he couldn't help but smile back before the two turned their attention back to the road in front of them. However, it seemed that they weren't the only ones to notice this, as Pikachu and Piplup both looked up to see this, and turned their glances to each other in surprise as they were wondering what was going on.

It didn't take very long for the small group to arrive in the heart of Twinleaf Town, and as they stepped towards the inside of the town, they felt matching smiles of awe show on their faces; as they looked around, they could see various types of stalls being set up for the festival. As the two were looking around at the sights, Dawn clasped her hands together with a smile of excitement while Ash turned his glance to her. "Oh, wow! There are so many stalls being set up here. This festival looks like it's going to be awesome!" Dawn exclaimed. Ash nodded in agreement with her, as he turned his head back to look at the many stalls that were being prepared.

"I know, right? I can't wait to see what kind of things they'll have once those stalls have been all set up." Ash agreed. As the two were looking out at the sight of the town, Pikachu and Piplup both started to rush down the hill towards the area where the stalls were being prepared, to which Ash and Dawn stared to shock to see their partner Pokemon running off ahead. "Pikachu, where are you going? Wait up!" Ash called.

"Piplup, slow down!" Dawn added. Without a moment to spare, the two started to make their way down the hill to catch up with them. However, as the two were running, Dawn didn't take notice of the fact that there was a small rock on the path just in front of her. As she was starting to catch up with the two Pokemon, Dawn suddenly felt one of her shoes slam against the rock, and she let out a cry of alarm as she lost her balance before falling forward and slamming against the ground hard. Pikachu and Piplup both stopped running as soon as they heard something from behind them, and they turned around to see Dawn lying on the ground. Showing matching expressions of alarm, the two immediately ran over to check on her as Dawn slowly started to sit up as she was rubbing her head. "Ow… man, that hurt…" Dawn groaned as she started to dust herself off.

"Dawn!" Hearing that voice from behind her, Dawn turned around to see Ash running over to her and he quickly stopped in his tracks with an expression of concern on his face upon seeing her on the ground. "Dawn, what happened? Are you okay?" he asked. Dawn quickly showed a reassuring smile as she didn't want him to worry too much.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I must have tripped on the way down…" Dawn replied. So with this, she slowly started to stand up while Pikachu and Piplup watched her in worry, and as she looked down to notice their expressions of concern, she quickly showed a confident smile. "Hey, no need to worry, guys! I'm just fine! See?" she commented. Unfortunately, this soon proved to be anything but true, as she suddenly felt her legs start to hurt and she found that she was having trouble standing up properly, so she quickly sat back down on the ground while Ash rushed over beside her. "On second thought, I guess there might be a need to worry…" Dawn worriedly added.

As she started to slowly run her legs to see if they were feeling okay, Ash knelt down beside her and she turned her head to see him showing her an expression of concern. "Dawn, are you okay? Do your legs hurt?" he softly asked.

Dawn simply nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I think so. It doesn't look like I'll be able to walk for a little bit…" she nervously replied, showing an expression of dismay at her situation. As Ash showed an expression of worry over this, he and Dawn both noticed that Pikachu and Piplup were running over to them with matching expressions of worry; it seemed as though they felt they were partially responsible for Dawn's injury because of their excitement. Seemingly taking notice of this, Dawn showed a reassuring smile. "Hey, it's okay, guys! You don't need to apologize. I'll be feeling okay in no time." Dawn stated. Pikachu and Piplup both showed matching smiles of relief upon hearing this, so that was good for them to know. Seeing their relief, Dawn let out a giggle before she turned her glance out to look towards the sky while Ash sat down next to her. "It sure is a lovely day today, huh?" Dawn asked, turning her glance to him while he did the same towards her.

"Yeah, it sure is. I hope it stays that way for when the festival starts." Ash commented, nodding in agreement. Dawn couldn't help but nod in agreement with this; she was thinking the same thing. As she turned her glance back up towards the sky to watch the clouds drift past, Ash simply watched her with a bright smile on his face. _'Man, Dawn really is someone special. I can't believe it took me so long to realise how much she means to me…'_ Ash thought to himself. Ever since that night when they danced together at the Croagunk Festival, Ash found that he had started to see Dawn in a different light than before. At first, she started as like a sister to him, but now she had become someone so much more to him. He found that he was always thinking about her at almost every opportunity, and he couldn't imagine having travelling through Sinnoh without her by his side. He admired her cheerful and upbeat personality, her determination, her confidence in everything she did and having her cheer him on during his Gym Battles. Initially, he couldn't figure out why he was feeling this way for her, but now it seemed that the answer was clear as day to him: it was because… he was in love with her. Realising this, it almost made him wonder how he had been so blind to what love was like for this long, because it truly felt like something amazing to him, and he was experiencing this feeling towards the most wonderful girl he had ever met. After a few moments of silence passed, Dawn started to stand up much to his surprise, and she turned around to face him with a bright smile.

"Okay, I think I'm ready to get going now! Ash, what about you?" Dawn asked. Ash stared at her in surprise for a few moments before he showed a bright smile and nodded in agreement. "Yep, me too." Ash stated. So with this, he stood up and the two started to continue their way down the path, with Pikachu and Piplup following them.

After a few minutes of walking, it didn't take long for the group to arrive in the forest and all around them, they could see sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees around them, causing the group to show matching smiles of awe at the wondrous sight. As the group were looking around at the sight, Ash stopped in his tracks as something seemed to catch his eye. "Guys, look!" Ash called, pointing just ahead. Dawn, Pikachu and Piplup stopped and had a look in the direction Ash was pointing in to notice a small pack of Sunflora running and stopped as they had arrived at an area where the rays of the sun were shining down, and their leafy arms started to glow bright yellow as they raised their arms up. "Those Sunflora are chasing the sunbeams!" Ash commented as he and Dawn were watching the Pokemon, with Dawn showing a smile of awe.

"Wow… that's amazing!" Dawn commented. Just then, the two looked up to see something fly over their heads: it was a Ledyba. Pikachu and Piplup both seemed to take notice of it as well, as they immediately started to give chase after it. After a few seconds of running, the two Pokemon stopped in their tracks to see a large patch of flowers in front of them, one of which the Ledyba landed on. As the two were staring at the flower patch in surprise, Ash and Dawn were running over to catch up with them and they quickly stopped in their tracks upon seeing the flowers, with Ash staring in surprise and Dawn quickly showing a smile of amazement. "Oh, wow! Look at all those flowers! They're so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

As the two were looking around at the flowers, Pikachu ran over to have a closer look. Unfortunately, he ended up running right into one, with pollen managing to get up his nose and causing him to cough a few times. Ash and Dawn quickly ran over to see what was happening, with Piplup following just alongside them. "Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked, showing an expression of concern. Pikachu turned around as he was running his nose before nodding.

"(Yeah, I'm okay.)" Pikachu nodded. Ash showed a smile of relief at this reply, and he and Dawn turned around to have a look at the sight of the forest around them. "It looks like lots of different Pokemon are living around here." Ash commented. Dawn happily nodded in agreement with a smile of awe on her face.

"Yeah, it really looks like it. And look at how we can see the sunlight through the trees even though we're in the forest, and all of those flowers… it all looks so amazing!" Dawn exclaimed, clasping her hands together in excitement at the wonders around her. Ash turned his glance to Dawn and felt a big smile cross his face as he watched her. _'I don't think it's anywhere near as amazing as you are, Dawn. Just having you stand beside me is all the wonder I need. I just need to figure out when the right time will be to tell you the truth…'_ Ash thought to himself; he was trying to decide when he felt would the right opportunity to tell Dawn the truth about his newfound feelings.

As this was happening, the group could suddenly the sound of rustling from nearby and turned their heads to notice that it was coming from a tree nearby with its leaves shaking frantically. As they headed to walk over to have a closer look, they were suddenly stopped by the sound of a voice from behind them.

"Psst. Hey, you two!" Ash and Dawn turned around in puzzlement as they were trying to figure out where that voice was coming from, and they could see that there was a small boy hiding behind a bush, and he was wearing a pale blue t-shirt with a white collar and dark blue shorts. "Don't go that way, please!" The boy whispered. As he slowly backed up behind the bush again, Ash and Dawn made their way over to where he was with Pikachu and Piplup following suit. Once they got close to the bush, the group took cover behind it.

"Who are you?" Ash asked as he and Dawn stared at the boy in surprise. The boy simply showed a bright smile in response before he gave his reply. "Hi, I'm Nathaniel. I just put some Honey on that tree the day before." Nathaniel explained. As Ash and Dawn were listening, they turned their heads to notice that Pikachu and Piplup had caught up to where they were. Nathaniel took notice of the two as well and his smile quickly grew in excitement. "Wow! A Pikachu and a Piplup, right?" he asked. Pikachu and Piplup both nodded in confirmation; that was indeed what kind of Pokemon they were. Nathaniel then looked back up at Ash and Dawn. "Do you two mind if I hold them?" he asked.

"No, not at all." Dawn replied, shaking her head in response. "Go right ahead." Ash added. So with this, Pikachu jumped into Nathaniel's arms while Piplup ran over to him and gave him a big hug, or at least, as far as his arms would allow him to. As Nathaniel happily hugged Pikachu, he turned his glance up to Ash and Dawn.

"I really want to be a Pokemon Trainer, but I can't because I'm not old enough yet." Nathaniel explained. Ash and Dawn both nodded in understanding; that seemed to make sense given how young he seemed to be. "When I get older, I'm definitely going to be a Pokemon Trainer. But for now, I'm trying to find and study as many Pokemon as I can and I do it every single day!" Nathaniel added. Ash and Dawn both showed matching expressions of surprise at this statement.

"Every day?!" The two asked in unison. But after a few moments passed, the two showed matching encouraging smiles. "That's great!" Ash commented. "Yeah! If you keep it up, I'll bet you'll be an amazing Trainer when the time comes." Dawn agreed, immediately nodding. Just then, the group suddenly heard the sound of rustling and poked their heads out from behind the bush to see what it was, with Nathaniel quickly showing a smile of excitement.

"Wow! Look at that!" Nathaniel exclaimed. Ash and Dawn turned their glances up to the tree to notice that there was a Heracross standing on one of the tree branches and it had been licking the Honey that was slathered onto the tree. "A Heracross! How cool is that?!" Nathaniel excitedly asked. As he was staring up at the Heracross, Ash turned his glance to Nathaniel as he was thinking about something.

' _Nathaniel reminds me of me…'_ Ash thought to himself. He could still remember when he decided to become a Pokemon Trainer: it was back when he was young, and seeing other people caring for their Pokemon and working alongside them inspired him to do the same thing when he grew up. Of course, now he was around Pokemon all the same during his travels, but it was small things like this that reminded him of how great it was to be a Pokemon Trainer. With all these thoughts in his head, Ash couldn't help feeling his smile grow in delight, while Dawn simply watched him with a similar smile on her face, as she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. However, those thoughts were interrupted when Ash heard Nathaniel speak up.

"And just as soon as I'm old enough to get started on my journey, I'm going to catch tons of Bug Pokemon!" Nathaniel added. Just then, the group could hear a sound and they turned their attention back to the tree to notice that Heracross was flying away. "Oh, it took off…" Nathaniel sighed, showing an expression of dismay. As Ash watched Heracross leaving, he then looked down at Nathaniel.

"So you like Bug types, huh?" he asked. Nathaniel turned his head to Ash and nodded in confirmation. "Yep; I love them!" he happily replied. Ash and Dawn couldn't help but show matching bright smiles upon hearing this.

"That's awesome!" Dawn stated. As Ash turned his glance to her upon hearing her statement, he looked back at Nathaniel. "You know, I actually caught a Heracross once." Ash commented. Dawn stared at Ash in surprise upon hearing this, while Nathaniel quickly showed a smile of amazement with his eyes growing wide.

"Wow! Really?!" Nathaniel excitedly asked. Ash nodded in confirmation, seeing just how excited he was to hear about this. "Yeah, and I also had a Bulbasaur whose sap was Heracross's favourite in the whole world. He always tried to get some when he had the chance." Ash explained. As Nathaniel was listening to this with a smile of awe, Dawn simply sat next to Ash so she could hear about this as well; she knew that they were going to be here for a while, but that didn't matter to her. The only thing that did matter to her was enjoying some alone company with Ash.

A little later, Ash and Dawn were on their way back towards Dawn's house with Piplup and Pikachu back alongside them. "Well, that walk was really something great! I better get to work with planning my strategy for my battle. I just hope Mum hasn't gotten back yet; we wouldn't want to go in unprepared. Right, Piplup?" Dawn asked, turning her glance up to her partner Pokemon as he was sitting back on her beanie. "(That's right!)" Piplup agreed, promptly nodding as he was looking forward to that battle as well. Dawn showed a bright smile as she seemed to take notice of her partner's excitement.

As Ash was listening to this, he stopped walking and turned his glance down in uncertainty to think; he was wondering whether or not he should tell Dawn the truth now since it was still just the two of them. _'I don't even know what she'll say if I tell her. How will she react when I say this to her? And how do I even know that she'll feel the same way?'_ Ash worriedly asked himself, as he was feeling uncertain of whether or not Dawn would respond well to his reveal of his feelings for her. However, as he was thinking all of this through, Dawn stopped when she realised that he wasn't following her, and she turned around to see him standing there in silence.

"Hey, Ash! What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?" Dawn asked, showing an expression of surprise. Ash nearly jumped as soon as he heard this, and once he realised that she was walking back over to him, that was when he seemed to realise that he couldn't bring himself to hide this any longer: he had to tell her, even if he wasn't sure of how she would respond. _'I guess there's only one way to find out for myself…'_ Ash thought to himself, nodding in confirmation. So with this in mind, he quietly took a deep breath and let it out before he turned his glance up to Dawn, just as she had stopped in front of him. A few moments of silence passed between them before Ash finally spoke.

"Dawn… there's something I need to tell you about." Ash said. He then looked down to think about how he was going to tell her this, while Dawn simply watched him, patiently waiting to hear what he said to say. After a few more moments passed, Ash turned his glance back up to her as he felt ready to continue. "Do you remember the night of the Croagunk Festival, when we danced together?" he asked. Dawn stared in silence as she seemed to be wondering what he meant, but it didn't take long for the memory to click in her head and she showed a bright smile before nodding in response.

"How could I forget? I still remember how much fun we had together, and how much we enjoyed dancing together." Dawn replied. Ash showed a smile of relief as he was glad to see that things were going well so far, while Dawn showed an expression of curiosity. "Why do you ask?" she then asked, as she was wondering why Ash was bringing up the night of the Croagunk Festival. Ash was silent for a few moments, waiting to see if Dawn was still listening, and once he was certain she was, that was when he continued.

"Well, that's because… after that night of the festival, I got a serious wake-up call. And that was about… my feelings for you." Ash stated. Dawn could only stare in stunned silence once she heard this, and she blinked a few times as she was trying to make sure she was hearing this right. "I know, it does sound a bit crazy for you to believe that this is coming from me, but… I don't think I could be more honest about this if I tried. Dawn, I know we didn't start off great at first when we started this journey together, but over the time we've spent together, I've started to realise just how much you mean to me. At first, I thought of you as just a sister, but now I've come to realise that… you're someone much more special than that." Ash then felt a bright smile show on his face as he was starting to feel confident about confessing all of this to Dawn, before he slowly walked over to her and took her hands in his while she simply stared at him in amazement as it seemed that she couldn't believe that she was hearing what he was saying to her.

"I don't know if this is just me being as dense as I've always been, but for the longest time, I never really had any idea of what love was or what it was like, but that all changed when I met you. Getting the chance to meet and travel with someone like you was exactly what I needed to realise these things that I never knew about, and that was because I had the chance to get to know you and spend time with you. You're really someone amazing, Dawn; even though you ran into a lot of hurdles while starting off as a Coordinator, you never gave up and kept going, and it's paid off a lot if your progress is much to go by. You've always stayed by my side even when there were times where we'd be at each other's throats, and you were always there to cheer me on and make me feel like I can accomplish anything. Even when there were times where I'd be feeling down and not know what to do, you were there to help bring me back up, and help remind me of the things that matter the most. It's because of all of the things you've done for me that I've come to realise just how special of a girl you are, and how I'd feel empty without you by my side. I guess what I'm trying to say is that…" Ash was silent for a few moments as he felt a bright smile cross his face before he continued. "I love you, Dawn, and I feel so grateful that I had the chance to meet, travel with and realise these feelings for such a sweet, cheerful, upbeat, fearless girl like you. I know this might be a shock for you to hear from me, but I couldn't bring myself to hide my feelings for you any longer." Ash finished. There was silence between the two as Ash simply watched Dawn, waiting to hear what her reaction to his confession would be. Dawn could only stare in amazement for a few moments as she was struggling to understand everything she had just heard: Ash, her best friend from the day she met him, had just confessed his feelings for her, and in such a sweet and meaningful way as well; he had just told her everything he felt in his heart for her. This was something she thought would never happen, but now this was like a dream come true for her. She could only stare in silent amazement for a few moments before she slowly started to show a big smile of joy as she felt her heart start to race.

"Ash…" Dawn softly whispered. Ash apparently didn't seem to take notice of the big smile Dawn was showing him, because he turned his glance down with an expression of uncertainty showing.

"I know, Dawn. I know it's hard for you to believe that this is me telling you all of this, but I knew that I had to say it. I understand if you don't tell the same way, but I just wanted you to know…" However, Ash found himself being unexpectedly interrupted as he suddenly felt Dawn rush over to him and tackle him in a hug, causing him to stumble a few steps backwards. Once he was able to regain his balance, Ash turned his glance down to Dawn to see that she had her arms wrapped tightly around him and she had the brightest smile of joy he had ever seen from her, and it also looked as though she was close to having tears building in her eyes from happiness.

"Ash… I can't believe I actually heard you say all of that! I can't believe I just heard you say that you love me! I've wanted to tell you the same thing for as long as I can remember, but I always felt afraid that you wouldn't return my feelings. But now, hearing you confess all of your feelings for me… it's all I ever wanted!" Dawn cried. Ash simply looked down at her with a bright smile showing as he was listening to her, and he watched as she started to let go before turning her glance up to him, making her big smile visible to see.

"Ash, you have no idea just how long I've waited to hear you say that. Ever since that night, I came to realise my feelings for you, but I never said anything because I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way that I do for you. But hearing everything you just said to me is almost like a dream come true. From the moment I met you, I knew that you were someone special; you were always willing to do anything you can to help others, regardless of who they are, and you were ready to put the safety of others above your own. When I felt like nothing was going right for me, you were there to help me and you would do anything you could to help me make my dream a reality, even when it felt like a lost cause. Through any dangers that we came across, you were willing to protect me and keep me safe. Through all of the time we've spent together, I came to see just how much there is that I love about you; your selflessness, your heroism, your kind heart and so much more. Ash, I love you too, and I'm so glad I was given the chance to meet and travel with a sweet, sensitive, courageous and kind-hearted boy like you." Dawn explained, feeling her smile growing brighter as she was talking. She then started to feel tears building in her eyes, and she quickly reached up to brush them away as Ash watched her. "I'm sorry… I know I shouldn't be crying at a time like this, but I can't help myself." Dawn commented. Ash simply showed a gentle smile and shook his head in understanding.

"It's alright, Dawn. Your tears are all I need to see to know just happy you are about all of this, just like I am." Ash replied. While this was happening, Pikachu and Piplup turned their glances to each other and figured that it would be best to leave their Trainers alone for the time being. So with this in mind, the two jumped off their Trainers and simply stayed on the ground to watch the rest of this. As silence filled the air, Ash and Dawn looked up at each other with matching bright smiles, beyond thrilled that they shared the same feelings for each other. The two slowly leaned forward toward each other before their lips met; they were sharing their first kiss, and the start of a new relationship between them. One consisting of mutual respect, trust, unfaltering support and above all else, the love they shared for each other. As the two were enjoying this new feelings, Pikachu and Piplup turned their glances to each other.

"(Did you see this coming? Because I know I did.)" Piplup commented. Pikachu was silent for a few moments to think before he nodded in agreement. "(Yeah… now you think about it, so did I. I guess they just needed to figure it out for themselves.)" Pikachu agreed. As the two Pokemon happily smiled at each other, they turned their attention back to their Trainers as they finally parted from their kiss and simply kept their glances at each other. Silence filled the air for a few moments before Ash was the one to break it.

"I think we better start heading back now. We wouldn't want to keep Brock and Noelle waiting for us." Ash suggested. Dawn promptly nodded in agreement; that sounded like a plan to her. So with this, the two both turned their attention to their partner Pokemon. "Come on, Pikachu! Let's get going!" Ash called.

"You too, Piplup! Let's hurry! Mum will probably be waiting for us." Dawn added. Pikachu and Piplup nodded in understanding before running over to the two, with Pikachu jumping up onto Ash's shoulder and Piplup climbing up on top of Dawn's beanie. With everyone all set, the group started to make their way back to Twinleaf Town and towards Dawn's house, where they were certain that the others would be waiting for them, with Ash and Dawn both holding hands. As the two were walking, Dawn turned her glance to Ash as she had an idea.

"Hey, I know! Maybe after I have my battle with Mum, I could tell her about the fact that we're boyfriend and girlfriend. I bet she'll be thrilled when she hears about it!" Dawn happily commented, with a smile of excitement as she was eagerly awaiting to tell Johanna the good news. Ash watched her before he nodded in agreement.

"That sounds like a plan to me." Ash agreed. So with this in mind, the two turned their attention back to the path in front of them, as they were both looking forward to sharing this with their friends, as well as what awaited them on the rest of their journey now that they were together.


End file.
